Drivers of Ford's new plug-in hybrid vehicles, the Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi, will not only get to view their vehicles' state of charge and other information from their smartphones, but also get to see the nearest available charging station. Ford partnered with Plugshare.com, which shows the location and gives real-time information for electric vehicle charging stations.

The MyFord Mobile app currently works with the Focus Electric, letting owners schedule remote charging and preheat the car. Ford's two new hybrid plug-in vehicles will also get the benefits of the MyFord Mobile app.

The addition of Plugshare.com's data adds considerably to the apps usefulness. The site shows a wealth of information for each charging station, such as whether it's free and the type of charger. More useful to drivers in areas with a concentration of electric cars, the site shows whether the charging station is in use or not.

A nice feature of the MyFord Mobile app is its ability to not only show a destination, such as a restaurant, but also to locate the nearest charging station from Plugshare.com's data. This feature will help drivers find charging stations within walking distance of their destinations.

Plugshare.com offers its own app, which is useful for drivers of most electric vehicles.

The C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi are both hybrid vehicles, using a gasoline engine and electric motor to drive the front wheels. Each incorporates a lithium ion battery pack good for up to 21 miles of electric range.

About the author

Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET. Prior to the Car Tech beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine. He's also the author of "Vaporware," a novel that's available as a Nook e-book.
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